An Interview With Nick Miller

The Gaians were one of the most striking tribes to ever appear on the show, a self-sufficient group who lived off the land and believed in finding a harmony with their surroundings. They were also the gateway to a great character who fought to keep that balance from being torn apart.

THETRIBE.CO.UK welcomes Nick Miller, who took on the role of Pride, to our tribe cast interview.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

How did it feel being a new and prominent character in series 3 leading this amazing new tribe that loved nature and keeping a balance?

NICK MILLER

To be honest I had never heard about THE TRIBE before being cast in it, because the show didn’t get much airtime in New Zealand even though it was filmed here. I first became aware of THE TRIBE when my agent sent me the audition script, which consisted of a character named Panther (later renamed Pride) giving a motivational speech before a big battle.

The ‘green’ aspect of the character was not immediately apparent to me, and took a backseat to the warrior / leader aspect internally with regards to the creation process. But it made logical sense to me in a post apocalyptic landscape where technology had led to such ruin, that nature loving would take on a huge philosophical importance amongst those fighting to survive.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

Did you at any point realise just how much of a cult show you were joining considering it wasn’t that big in New Zealand?

NICK MILLER

I had no idea of the cult status of the show. Internet was not so widespread back then, and the show never really got played here in New Zealand. I occasionally get recognised for various other roles I have had over the course of my career, but only once have I only been recognised in public as a Tribe cast member. I was buying beer at the supermarket in 2011 prior to attending a music festival, and this lovely English girl approaches me and asks if I used to be on THE TRIBE.

I was absolutely stunned. You do all this work and it feels like it just disappears into the ether, and finally years later a real person finally comes along and lets you know that they enjoyed it.

Bless you, that girl.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

What qualities of yourself do you see – or don’t see – in Pride?

Do you share any affinity with the Gaians yourself? Or are you more of a city person?

NICK MILLER

We are actually fairly similar. My own worldview definitely tends towards left-of-center, and I imagine Pride would have stood as the Green Party candidate in his local government election, had society in tribeworld not collapsed.

But those dreadlocks … No, no, no, no, no.

With regards to whether I share an affinity with the Gaians or whether I am a city person, I would have to say that I don’t believe the two are necessarily diametrically opposed. Getting outdoors and enjoying nature is a normal part of growing up in New Zealand, so in a way kiwis are nature-loving by default and we aren’t that conscious about it. I definitely like the city-life, but tend to feel more grounded walking barefoot through the forest, or on a beautiful remote beach.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

What was the hardest part of filming in relation to the mechanics of it all?

NICK MILLER

The wig of dreadlocks was an absolute nightmare – it was very heavy, anchored directly to my own hair, and was a painful ordeal to put on every morning. After a few hours of shooting my neck would ache just from the sheer weight of this thing, but I could not put my head down to rest because sharp pins dug into my scalp, and we could not risk damaging the wig by squashing it.

Moving through a scene while wearing it felt awkward, and doing stunt work while wearing it was difficult. We eventually downsized the wig to something more practical for everyday use, but that thing definitely coloured my early experiences of production.

PRIDE'S TRADEMARK DREADLOCKS WENT THROUGH SOME PRACTICAL ALTERATIONS

THETRIBE.CO.UK

You remained with the show right up to series 5, so you must have some great memories from being on the set.

NICK MILLER

Too many favourite on-set memories to name just one. Between takes there were countless exchanges among cast members along the lines of:

“Can you believe we actually get to do this?”
“Yeah, this is freaking awesome!”

Usually while filming in some amazing location.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

Was there another character that you wish you had gotten the chance to play, if you could?

NICK MILLER

No. Pride always seemed like a good fit for me.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

We had the difficult relationship transition from May to Salene, and then there was Pride’s fall from grace as he got addicted to Reality Space. What was the hardest storyline for you to do, and why?

NICK MILLER

I’m not sure I would describe any storyline as hard; you just play each scene as truthfully as you can.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

Out of all the girls that had either a crush or a romantic entanglement with Pride, who do you think was a better fit? Cloe, Salene, or May?

NICK MILLER

Goodness – thinking back, everyone seems so young!

Salene seems like the more mature one for Pride of those three.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

Was it your decision to leave in series 5, or were you written out? If so, would you have liked to have stayed until the very end?

NICK MILLER

The process between auditioning, being cast, and relocating my life to Wellington to begin filming was very rapid. Only about a week if memory serves me correctly. I was 19 at the time and I had to make some very rapid decisions about what to do with my university studies, my girlfriend, family life, and everything else.

Ultimately I decided to put it all on hold to pursue this opportunity. But being young I had never really been away from my support network for any significant period of time, and I was going through all the normal stuff a young person goes through – all the while acting in this crazy TV show where you’re apparently world famous – just not in your own country where you happen to live.

After a while it felt like life was out of balance, so the mutual decision was made to end things.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

After leaving, did you continue to follow the show? Have you seen any of the final episodes?

NICK MILLER

For me the enjoyment is and always will be the creative process. Reading scripts, researching concepts, rehearsing scenes, working with other actors on set – those are the things that I enjoy.

The skill of acting itself is what interest me; watching myself on screen months after the actual moment has passed … not so much.

THETRIBE.CO.UK

What have you been up to since THE TRIBE ended?

NICK MILLER

Life itself has continued since THE TRIBE ended!

I have travelled and reconnected with family, and finished my studies. Creatively, I have worked as a director and producer, and I frequently do DJ gigs around Auckland. I have also continued to work in various capacities on New Zealand and International productions. I recently shot scenes for an upcoming New Zealand drama series, and 2017 is looking promising too.

It’s quite funny really because New Zealand is a relatively small place, and many of us Tribe actors are still active in the industry, so we tend to bump into each other from time to time.

OUTRO

Many thanks to Nick for taking the time to respond to our questions about his time on the show! Best of luck for the future and we hope to catch you with you again!

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Keep these interviews coming!!! So insightful! But awwww so Nick left the show cause he basically wanted to move on with life, wish things weren’t so rapid for him as I wanted him to remain on the show.

Cast Members Or Agents

If you would like to participate within an interview in order to help promote your latest endeavour whilst also looking back at your time on The Tribe, then please get in touch via our submissions page, facebook, or email.